Actor Shah Rukh Khan has mobilized his three major holdings to contribute to multiple disaster relief funds in the country to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement released late on Thursday, the actor said his three companies, Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment and Red Chillies VFX, along with the Meer Foundation, will contribute to the PM CARES Fund, the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund, the Roti Foundation, Working People's Charter and Ek Saath: The Earth Foundation, for personal protective equipment (PPE) for health-care providers and financial support for over 100 acid-attack survivors.
In his statement, the actor wrote that given the enormity of the task, his team and he discussed ways to contribute in their own way and came up with a series of initiatives that he hopes will make at least a small difference.
'The efforts of our prime minister, Shri Narendra Modiji, coupled with the efforts of the chief ministers, Shri Uddhav Thackerayji, Smt Mamata Banerjee, Shri Arvind Kejriwal and all other states and Union territories’ leaders, have been commendable in fighting this pandemic,' Khan wrote. 'We have initially focused our efforts on three cities — Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi — with the realization that this is a start and we stand ready to contribute in whichever way possible going forward.'
Whilst we stay safe at home,many r working for our safety & fending for themselves. Here's our little contribution to ensure their health & well being! Separate but together,we will overcome! @iamsrk @PMOIndia @narendramodi @OfficeofUT @AUThackeray @MamataOfficial @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/7MI2KT7770
— Red Chillies Entertainment (@RedChilliesEnt) April 2, 2020
The actor added, 'As a nation and as a people, it is our duty to give it all we have got. I am going to try my best and I know each one of you will do so, too. Only together we will be able to fight through these difficult and unimaginable days.'
The funds that the actor's companies will contribute to are as follows:
The PM CARES Fund: The actor's IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders, has donated an undisclosed amount to the fund created specially for the coronavirus pandemic.
Maharashtra CM's Relief Fund: Red Chillies Entertainment will be contirbuting to the state's disaster relief fund.
PPE for medical health providers: The Meer Foundation and Kolkata Knight Riders will come together with the West Bengal and Maharashtra governments to contribute 50,000 PPEs for medical professionals.
Ek Saath – The Earth Foundation: The Meer Foundation will work with Ek Saath to make food provision for 5,500 families for a month in Mumbai. In addition, a kitchen will be set up to send 2,000 home-cooked meals every day to hospitals and households across the city.
Roti Foundation: The Meer Foundation will team up with the Roti Foundation to provide 3,00,000 meal kits to feed 10,000 poor and daily-wage labourers a day for a month.
Working People's Charter: The Meer Foundation will team up with the charter to provide daily rations and provisions for a month to 2,500 daily-wage labourers across Delhi.
Support for acid-attack survivors: The foundation will provide a monthly stipend to survivors across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand to take care of their daily needs.
Shah Rukh Khan is among several from the film industry who have stepped up to contribute in mitigating the growing economic difficulties caused by the lockdown forced by the coronavirus pandemic.